Yes, the Windows 8 rumour mill is really spinning up now. This time around though, they're not really rumours, since the information is coming from Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, long-time Microsoft enthusiasts with loads of insider access. They've got a bunch of screenshots showing a work in progress of... A ribbon in Explorer. And yes, it looks just as bad as it sounds.

Blender's old UI (which I think is what you're talking about) was pretty nice and easy to understand, once you've gone through a tutorial or two, although I have to agree that it's quite a shocking view at first.

When you need to go "through a tutorial or two" the UI is not "easy to understand". Easy to understand UIs will guide you through themselves and disclose functionality when you need it or when you specifically search for it.

There is a term in UX called "progressive disclosure". That is where old Blender UI failed. That is why Win7 UI looks confusing in a lot of cases.